Rejlers mapped Kymenlaakso’s road to hydrogen economy

Kymenlaakso has significant potential for the production of hydrogen and its further use. This became evident in the extensive study carried out by Rejlers that defined the steps needed for driving hydrogen investments over the next 10 years. 

Driving sustainable growth and the green transition are important objectives in Kymenlaakso, because industries which use green electricity and hydrogen will play a major role in the industrial transformation of the region. Kymenlaakso is keen to see more renewable energy and increasing production of hydrogen and its further derivatives. To further this, the regional development companies Cursor and Kouvola Innovation in the area commissioned a hydrogen economy study from Rejlers. 

– We had previously identified good areas for hydrogen production, but we wanted to find out more. The study also identified new areas, which was an important result. At the same time, we gained confirmation of our previous insights and developed a deeper understanding of the potential in the region. It became clear to us how areas can be refined for hydrogen investments, says Project Manager Kari Laine of Kouvola Innovation. 

– Kymenlaakso’s strengths – a strong power grid, infrastructure that supports a hydrogen economy, and logistics with a port for exports – will fuel the development of a hydrogen economy. In addition, renewable energy projects and Gasgrid’s hydrogen pipelines are being planned in the area. We clarified the prerequisites of a hydrogen economy in this setting and chose the most potential areas for further review based on our criteria, says Rejlers Technology Consultant and Report Project Manager Roope Mannonen. 

Several sites of interest from the perspective of a hydrogen economy were found in Kymenlaakso, where hydrogen could be either produced or refined. The production of hydrogen and Power-to-X products in these locations was examined from a technical and economical perspective using case studies. The used examples were ammonia, methane, and hydrogen. 

Prerequisites important for all hydrogen production efforts are the supply of electricity and water and the land use planning of the areas. For ammonia, the significant factors turned out to be a large plot area and transportability supporting exports. For methane, the potential was increased by a sufficiently short distance to a source of carbon dioxide and the possibility of connecting to a natural gas network. For hydrogen production, the location of the Gasgrid’s hydrogen pipeline will become an important factor in the future: it is advisable to build the plant as close to the hydrogen pipeline as possible. 

These are decisive moments for hydrogen projects – the hydrogen economy requires collaboration 

A roadmap was created for the hydrogen economy in Kymenlaakso, highlighting cooperation between different actors. Stakeholder collaboration played a major role already during the investigation. This allowed for the inclusion of, for example, land use data from the planning office as well as the views of the electricity and gas network operators and various local actors. 

– Through interviews and a workshop, Rejlers engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including regional municipalities and industrial operators. The end result was a thorough and reliable roadmap for the promotion of the hydrogen economy in the coming years, says Cursor Project Manager Riina Laaksonen. 

– We were happy with the efforts undertaken by Rejlers. Rejlers took action well and organised the work professionally. Everything went well with both us and the stakeholders, and we were happy with the way Rejlers worked and with their expertise, says Laine. 

The timing of the completion of the study is good, as suitable targets for hydrogen investments are currently being sought for actively. Good cooperation between counties, municipalities, the authorities, and other stakeholders is key to actually implementing the projects. The roadmap will be used for further planning and in discussions with potential project developers. 

– It was a pleasure to be able to support the customer in this work. Here at Rejlers, we have strong technical and economical expertise in hydrogen production, handling, and applications, as well as good capabilities to promote the hydrogen economy. By combining our expertise in consulting and our various engineering disciplines, we can create an overall view of the development and assess the preconditions for the realisation of hydrogen investments. This benefits the customer and the entire region, says Mannonen. 

“Through interviews and a workshop, Rejlers engaged a wide range of stakeholders, including regional municipalities and industrial operators. The end result was a thorough and reliable roadmap for the promotion of the hydrogen economy in the coming years.” RIINA LAAKSONEN | CURSOR